Our Next Screening is…

DATE CHANGE – 4th Tuesday this month

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A series of films about that dirty word: Gentrification

The Bed-StuyA film by Donal Foreman’s students in the Tribeca Teaches Program
Using story-telling and reenactments, students explore the positive elements of living in Bed-Stuy, as well as the difficult aspects, such as witnessing violence.

Wet Cement by Emily Tomasik
Two friends explore friendship and differences in the world.

A Rare Medium Well Done by David Hoon
A short film about a butcher in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Clapping for the Wrong Reasons by Khidr Joseph
Investigates the effects of gentrification on Bedford-Stuyvesant through the eyes of the Brooklyn neighborhood’s community. Created as part of the Reel Works Lab.

Past Screenings have included…

March 18, 2014

The Super Cops is a 1974 film starring Ron Leibman and David Selby, directed by Gordon Parks. The film is based on the book The Super Cops: The True Story Of The Cops Called Batman and Robin by L.H. Whittemore. Made at the height of the 70s exploitation cinema era, the film is shot all around Brooklyn, making the film an amazing time capsule of NY in the 70s.

February 18, 2014

After You Leftby Jef Taylor
A man in his mid-thirties searches for meaning in the aftermath of a relationship

Love Squirtsby Alex Gaylon
A couple’s love pops in bed.

No Actionby Zach Lennon-Simon
A college freshman fantasizes about what’s wrong with the girl he’s attracted to. Shot and edited on 16 MM.

Dogby Jonathan Johnson
Forced to move out after a break up, Ana finds that the one thing she can’t live without is her boyfriend’s dog.

Mon Rêve Familierby Jimmy Feguson
A circus performer recalls a doomed passion in this stunningly captivating visual piece evoking the mystery of love and of loss.

January 21, 2014

At the Corner of 3rd and 3rd by Max Kutner
The New York and Long Island Coignet Stone Company Building had been all but forgotten until Whole Foods opened its first Brooklyn market next door. But the landmark continues to deteriorate as Gowanus changes around it. Through archival materials and interviews with historians, activists, artists, photographers, and residents, this documentary short explores how a community must look to the future while fighting to preserve the past.

Silent Exposure by Christopher Nostrand and Kayoko Nakamura
Silent Exposure is a personal story about a son of a Vietnam veteran, the filmmaker himself Chris Nostrand. Chris was fifteen years old when his father Alfred Nostrand suddenly passed away from liver cancer. Now, eight years later Chris begins his journey for answers as he traces back to correlate his father’s death to the toxic herbicide used to defoliate jungles during the Vietnam War, Agent Orange. During his journey, Chris meets with professionals and family members to unravel new findings about his father’s story and uncover shocking facts about overall exposure in Vietnam.

Day 61 (Occupy Wall Street) by Donal Foreman
November 17th, three days after the Occupy Wall Street encampment was destroyed by the NYPD. In the early morning, numerous streets, intersections and buildings in the Wall Street area are blocked or disrupted. Nearby, people return to the site of the camp, dismantling barricades and dancing. Later that evening, a New School-operated, Wells Fargo-owned building at 90 5th Avenue is declared occupied.

December 17, 2013

You’re Only What I See Sometimesby Donal Foreman
“The most ambitious short was written and directed by Donal Foreman. You’re Only What I See Sometimes is a film about a one-night stand very much inspired by the fleeting impressionism of love and memory in the work of Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai. This was ambitious, confident stuff, told with visual aplomb. Foreman’s film contained the cinematic moment of the night: a burst of spontaneous bedroom dancing from Hannah McDonnell that reminded me of Godard’s freewheeling cinema. Anna Karina couldn’t have done better herself.” (Paul Lynch, The Sunday Tribune)

Pullby Donal Foreman
Over one summer day in Dublin, a girl reconnects with old friends, makes new ones and reaches a painful turning point in her most intimate relationship. PULL is a film about the flickering details of human connection — the gestures, glances, games and misunderstandings that make up our daily relationships. It’s a film about what draws us closer to people and what makes us want to push them away.

Where Are You From?by Fouzia Najar and Aleksandra Gorbacheva
A short profile of a New York City cab driver.

This is for the Kidsby Zach Lennon-Simon
A documentary recounting stories from my childhood and my inability to let go of that time of my life as I face the impending adulthood

Street Viewsby Annie Berman
Set in New York City’s famed West Village, but shot entirely within Google’s street view, STREET VIEWS explores how virtual mapping alters our experience of space and identity. With humor and a light touch, Berman attempts to navigate a surreal, disoriented new landscape.

The Last Colorful Noteby Alexander Mallis
A series of cheerful notes from middle school quickly turn sour.

Spoilsby Alexander Mallis
A short documentary that captures intimate portraits of 3 New Yorkers on a journey through the culture of dumpster diving, illuminating a practice as old as agriculture.

November 19, 2013

The Romantic Idiotby Zachary Lennon-Simon
A comedy about a self-described romantic who tries to win back his ex-girlfriend by using what he’s learned from the books and movies that he loves.

My Happy Familyby Nina Schwanse
First comes love, then comes marriage… An unlikely candidate is cast by Mattel to promote a certain set of values preparing young girls for a life of romantic pizza dinners and childrearing. Merin McDonald co-stars with future teen semi-star Amanda Bynes in footage procured from the basement beta vault of a former company executive. My Happy Family refers both to name of the product and the relationship of the aspiring young actress to the commercial’s director, her father.

Sincerely, P.V. Reeseby Philip Swift
Philip Swift and his friends made over 100 movies while growing up in Akron, OH. One of those films, Dear Mothman, an hour long epic filmed during their senior year of high school in 1998, is the focus of this documentary. Sincerely, PV Reese is a film about death, movies, and that VHS-C camera.

Use Your Headby Gabriel Gomez & Julien Melendez (Crooked Letter Films)
A struggling writer, who finds himself going toe-to-toe with the infamously-dreaded “writer’s block”, resorts to new techniques. Official selection of the 2013 LES Film Festival on Mind F*ck Night.

Lostby Sarah Dahnke
The rehearsal of a one-woman girl group.

Series Curators:

Philip B. Swift is a Filmmaker living and working in New York City. As Digital Filmmaking Artist-in-Residence with Young Audiences New York and a member of the Tribeca Film Institute’s Professional Development Team, he integrates the art of Filmmaking into public school classrooms throughout New York City. His short documentary “Sincerely, PV Reese” was shortlisted for the 2010 Vimeo Awards and was the opening night selection at the 2010 Akron Film Festival. Also in 2010, his marriage to Katie Robbins was deemed interesting enough to be in the Vows section of The New York Times. More info: dearmothman.com

Sarah Dahnke is a choreographer, multimedia artist and arts educator. She creates video dances for traditional screens, installations and web, which have been screened at at venues such as CPR-Center for Performance Research, The Gowanus Ballroom, The Wild Project, The Hyde Park Arts Center, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts and through the Dance Films Association and Dances Made to Order. Sarah teaches throughout New York City with organizations such as Spoke the Hub and The Tribeca Film Institute, and her work with elementary school students at The Neighborhood School in Manhattan was recently featured in The New York Times. She is a 2013 awardee of a grant from The Puffin Foundation. More info: sarahdahnke.com